


Where Did You Go

by Chinah



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Falling In Love, Fluff, Link x Prince Sidon, Link x Sidon, Love Triangles, M/M, Post-Breath of the Wild, There will be graphic fights, Threatening themes, Yandere Themes, angst & fluff, dark themes, ill add tags as i go, love dodecahedron, okay the "love dodecahedron" was a joke have mercy on me, please read the tags in case theres anything like trigger warnings, sidlink - Freeform, there are a few triangles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-03-22 02:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13754388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chinah/pseuds/Chinah
Summary: Honestly, it was no lie that he had always been smitten with such pretty golden hair which always ALWAYS seemed to be so full of leaves and sticks, those eyes as deep a blue as the lakes and streams which made up the land of his home.It was no lie that he would do anything for the Hylian.It was only the truth when he confessed he could only think of the Champion of Hyrule.And by the Goddess, this knowledge was going to get out whether he liked it or not.





	1. A Crisis?

**Author's Note:**

> Hallo!! Welcome to my first Sidlink fanfiction!!!  
> I'll warn you now, I'm not an expert on LOZ or BOTW by any stretch of the imagination, but I hope I can live up to expectations that other authors have laid down ~  
> I'll try to keep updates frequent, I'd hate to leave you all waiting patiently.  
> I'll be adding tags as I do, as well as characters.  
> There are some parts of the story I am keeping out of the tags and characters sections because I want some things to remain a surprise ~ So without further ado,  
> Enjoy.

Where did it start... Where was it that he noticed he really could feel the pangs of jealousy and of want, the parts of him deep down that warmed at the thought of such a bright smile, such soft skin. How was it possible for someone to be so... fragile? And those silly little clothes, who needed such fine fabrics if only to shred them during fights. Fights the Hylian seemed to be unable to stay away from.

It was here, that Sidon was caught in his imagination, questioning each and every part of Link. Why did he have to have such _nice hair?_ Why did his ears have to be so adorable when they conveyed his emotions, one moment perky and listening intently, and the next droopy with some unknown emotion Link refused to voice. Each step Sidon took, seemed to draw another question from his thoughts, and with every question came the gentle poking of anger or agitation.

Why did it have to be _Link?_ Why couldn't it have been some random pretty Zora woman- there were plenty, and they didn't seem to try hiding the fact that they were oh so interested in him. Even here, doing rounds like he usually did on days where he had no royal meetings or plans, women in the Domain seemed to swoon as he walked by. A prince, and one of the bigger of the Zora males, he was obviously quite the... _catch_ . But, how so many women would drop any other hint of a romantic life should he express even the slightest of interest, _bewildered_ him.

But Link... would _he_ swoon like that, should Sidon speak about how he was the lucky one? The lucky person Sidon had decided to give his everything to, his heart and his head both wrapped up neatly with a bow for Link to take and stick in his pocket. Would he swoon? Or would he give Sidon a look of rejection only the Hylian could pull off? A look that would make every bone in Sidon's body feel as though it had been personally chipped away at?

He reaches the end of the path he had been walking along pretty quickly, having to stop and glance around. His fins flicked in annoyance, and a moment later his gills quivered as he groaned. Why was this new obsession bothering him to the point where he was pacing? Because thanks to a quick glance around it was easy to tell he really hadn't gone anywhere. In this dazed state of trying to sort things in his head, he had only paced in a big circle around the square just outside the palace, and if he hadn't stopped now then he might have gone around several more times.

The Hylian was messing with his head. Thanks to the guards who witnessed his pacing with both worried and teasing smiles, Sidon had to retire to the castle in his embarrassment with heavy steps and an even heavier mind. It was confusing, thinking of all these things. What did he feel for Link?

Why did he feel for Link? His sister, Mipha, of all people, had loved him. Was he starting to notice what she had seen all along? Or was he finally accepting the fact that just waiting to see Link again made him feel moody, but also so excited? How does he deal with such emotions...

It was almost like the sun hadn’t even set and that the hours hadn’t even passed. The way he was just so buried in his thoughts.

 

* * *

 

“Sidon.

...hh e y.”

 

_CLAP CLAP!!_

His eyes fluttered in response as he started to move again, his hand reaching up to rub at his cheek, and then the ridge of his brow. What had he missed? He didn't even recall. Had he been sleeping...? He didn't remember falling asleep. It only took a quick look around to realize he was outside, and not only that but in the courtyard at the feet of his beloved sister's statue. The memory she had left behind when she herself had passed.

Sidon was curled up by the bottom of it, looking as though he had been knocked out and simply slumped into a sitting position. The one in front of him was none other than the Hero, the Champion. The one who plagued his thoughts, his dreams, his feelings.

Had Link actually spoken in order to wake him? He was both honored and embarrassed…

He wasn't sure how he had fallen asleep outside, nor was he positive why Link and what looked like Princess Zelda had arrived in the middle of the night. It felt like a lot of things about this situation were a little weird.

The Princess seemed as though she was asleep on Link's horse, looking graceful even with her features painted with the droop of sleep. She managed to stay sitting up, however, with one hand braided in the soft dark brown. Sidon shook his head and slowly stood to his full height, rubbing a few specks of dirt or dust from his sleek red scales.

_Prince Sidon?_

Link's ears were drooping and a frown sat on his perfect little face. His hair looked like he must have slept in a bush (the twig sticking out of his little half ponytail was proof,) and there was a brand new bandage stuck to his jawline. His hands moved in a flurry as he spoke in his language of hands, and Sidon had to hold up a hand to stop the other mid-sentence.

"Link, I can't understand you when you speak so quickly." He states slowly as he squints at the gentle lights of the courtyard, and uses his other hand to start massaging his tail. He _must_ have fallen asleep here during one of his moments of deep thought, and his tail especially ended up in a really uncomfortable position. It would be sore eventually, he could already tell.

Link made a face when he was stopped, then slowly continued. Sidon didn't mention it, but the way the movements contained a very lowkey flicking suggested an attitude in the words.

_Are. You. Okay?_

Sidon smiled in his too-bright way, his large webbed hands reaching for one of the Hylian's much smaller ones and shaking it. "Of course I am, great friend! It was just a nap that must have snuck up on me. What brings you here, don't you know it's the middle of the night?" He asks with a quick glance to the Princess, then back to the Champion.

Link made a face again, this time looking a little less alarmed and annoyed instead. His hands still speak slowly, just in case Sidon couldn’t understand thanks to the blur of sleep.

_Apparently, there is an “urgent matter” that King Dorephan needs to discuss with Zelda. He sent for us and mentioned that we should get here “post haste.”_

_Have you heard anything about it?_

Sidon could only blink in surprise.

Was there an urgent matter? Why hadn’t he been told? Or… had he been told and he’d forgotten…

Either way, Sidon waved a hand as though to wave the worry from Link’s face. He could tell it was still there, even in the dark glow of the Domain’s nightfall. Etched into such nice features, it was like a book of receipts from all the stress the Champion had been under… easily readable to the Zora Prince.

“It is much too late to worry about it at this time. Come, I’ll show you to the stables.” He states, rolling his shoulders back then beginning to lead the way.

Link walked beside him quietly for a while, leading his horse and in turn, the Princess.

Link’s gentle tap at his forearm caught his attention, and once more the Hero spoke in his language of the hands.

 _I don’t think I’ve seen you glow before._ _  
_ Link stated gently, seeming as though he was finally starting to relax.

As much as a warrior could, at least. He always relaxed in the Domain, and Sidon was proud of that fact in a way.

Though the statement was a little bit of small talk, the type of “speech” that would happen between friends in a calm moment, it made Sidon sad to hear. It seems the Hero’s memory still wasn’t as good as it could be.

Sidon had certain spots of bioluminescence, along his tail and brow. These little spots glowed pink in the dark, illuminating not only the Zora Prince’s head and tail, but also other parts of his body like the sides of his arms and legs. All Zora had these glowing spots, so it wasn’t weird to find that you could track the movements of these people as they worked in the night.

“You have, actually. Many different times.” Sidon assured, as he finally paused to motion towards the stable they had built thanks to Sidon’s constant pestering. It was in fact notoriously difficult to bring a horse into the Zora’s Domain, but they hadn’t entirely realized this until _after_ they built the stable off to the corner of the castle’s grounds.

“Here, we’ve tried to make it as comfortable as we could for your steed. Admittedly, we don’t have much experience with equines, so if there's anything missing...”

Link didn’t seem to mind as he settled the horse into the stall, pulling various bags from the back of the animal until finally, he pulled down the stiff Princess.

The stall must have been just fine; that was a relief.

Just as someone who had been in the dark waters of sleep, Zelda whined childishly when she was rustled by more than the sloping trot of the horse.

Sidon watched with his warm golden eyes as Link seemed to converse with her even without officially using his hands or his voice. Slowly she accepted that she should either walk or be held by one of the two companions nearby and stood a bit straighter on her feet. Her hand found a strap hanging off one of the bags over Link’s shoulder, and held on.

And it was like that that they walked- with Sidon in the lead, Link following just behind him on one side, and Princess Zelda trailing behind in her half-asleep state.

Finding them rooms was easy, considering that there were PLENTY of guest rooms all specifically decorated and made for guests such as these two.

The blue lights of the Zora’s Domain lit up everything at night, every fragile looking arch or stone pathway. The scenery had always looked this delicate and intricate- the Zora Domain prided itself on the beauty of its land. It had been sad to see that the pride of the land of Zora had been stifled in such a way. How could you be overwhelmed by the beauty of the arches, of the stones which always seemed to be dampened just enough to shine in the sun, or the beauty the statue of his sister held if it was all hidden beneath a sad fog and dribbling rain...

It had been dark and rainy like that for what felt like an eternity, for the Divine Beast Vah Ruta had poured rain cloud after rain cloud into the sky and covered the Domain in a gloom that seemed to last forever. The blue lights which felt warm to Sidon had soon become all some of the younger Zora had known when it came to light.

It was good to know that they could see the light from the sun refracting through the water again.

Princess Zelda’s room was ornamental as it always was, decked out with the prettiest of the Zora’s creations of metals. A small pool sat in the corner of the room, as it did for all Zora bedrooms, but since Hylian’s generally did not sleep in the water as a breed of fish people might, waterbeds had been brought in specifically for them. A touch of the Zora, but in the way that a Hylian might enjoy.

Sidon showed the Princess to her door, where she offered them only a wave in thanks before taking her specific luggage, turning and disappearing into her room behind the closed door.

She was a great deal less talkative and happy looking when she was angry over a loss of sleep, Sidon couldn’t help but note. It was funny how something like sleep could cause such a sweet person to suddenly be an emotional piece of wet cardboard.

Once she had left them both on the doorstep, Sidon began to lead Link on to his own room.

He was still Zelda’s trusted guard even now, so the Zoras had taken that into account and made him his own room just beside hers.

It was close by but it still required a short walk from the both of them, so Sidon took this one slow.

“So! Hero of Hyrule, my dearest of friends! How have you been? You look well, though it seems you got in a small fight…” He motioned towards the bandage on Link’s jawline. The coloring had darkened by then, obvious that it had been changed just before making their way into the Domain and that it was still bleeding.

Sidon tried to remind himself that Hylian’s sometimes just seemed to bleed endlessly but still relatively be okay.

The last time Link had been over, he had been caught in a bush (sometimes the dear Link didn’t bother to drink or eat or SLEEP unless absolutely necessary, and sometimes not even then, and ended up falling into a plant). By falling into the bush, Link had been covered in plenty of little cuts that made Sidon worried. He seemed to be fine, however.

 _It was just a few stray monsters. They don’t seem to know what to do with themselves nowadays, so they keep running amuck and causing trouble. They attacked a town by the river, so I stepped in._ Link signed, his motions fluid and smooth as he portrayed his calm demeanor.

Sidon loved the way the Hylian spoke with his hands. Every wave, pat, clap- though some words still flew over his head, he could understand most of what Link said.

Sign language was something that was a struggle to make and teach, but his sister Mipha had managed. Translating spoken language into gestures was a difficult task, but through combined forces, the three of them had managed to construct something of a language.

After practicing for a hundred years, Sidon had spread it around to other unfortunate souls who weren’t able to speak, and soon across the land, it had been known as a way for the mute or the forever injured to get their points across.

Link had obviously had some catching up to do in the last few years since he had awakened. Now, Sidon and Link were able to chat in the way that anyone was able to speak with anyone else.

“It was very kind of you to step in, friend. I’m sure the townsfolk are very grateful, as most of the spectators are when you decide to launch into battle.” Sidon grinned, though shyly closed his lips after a moment of quiet.

“Well, your room is here.” He added, pausing in front of another ornamental door. Almost as though he lived there, Link invited himself into the room and glanced around. Once deciding it looked good, he turned back towards the door with a nod.

 _Nice rooms. You guys spoil me._  He signed, dropping his bags just beside the door and then leaned against the doorway.

“We try our best. I do hope you will enjoy sleeping on something that is meant for sleeping. Unlike the ground. Or the trees.” His smile was teasing as he pointed out various places in the wilderness which he knew Link liked to rest. “Don’t deny it, you still have a little stick in your hair.” The Zora Prince added just as he reached forward to tug the little twig from the Hylian’s hair.

Said Hylian looked astonished that he hadn’t noticed, and just _faintly_ the tips of his ears dusted themselves in pink.

 _How do you know I didn’t mean for that to be there-?_ His hands paused, as though he was giving up on the useless argument before it even began.

 _Either way, you are seriously one to talk. I just found you out in the water fountain, don’t forget._ His hand gently patted the hand which carried away his companion stick.

Sidon laughed, and then cleared his throat as he realized it was _quite late_ and his laugh was _quite loud._ Maybe waking up Zelda just as she fell asleep again wouldn’t be the best idea.

“Hey, squabbling aside, you might want to enjoy the rest while you can get it. I hope you enjoy your stay here, however long it will be, Champion of Hyrule.” His voice got all soft as he watched the other seemingly shift from casual to embarrassed.

 _Just call me Link, will you? You’re right, I should get to bed._ In two fluid motions, he signed only one more phrase before he took a step back and closed the door.

_Good night._

Sidon stood outside the door for a moment, the forgotten goodbye, the bitten goodnight still on his lips. It was only then, when he was standing alone outside the door to the one on his mind, that weariness finally settled on his strong and colorful shoulders. His royal attire suddenly felt heavy against his scales, and it was only then that he finally unglued his feet from the soft stones of the pathways and the hallways, and began his way back to his room.

 

* * *

 

 

“I cannot believe this is what we are going through, Your Majesty,” Muzu mumbled, one of his hands rubbing his flat manta-ray head. He pressed against his temple, one of his claws itching gently at a loose scale.

“Are you positive that is what you saw, Captain?”

Bazz shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of both the massive King and his most trusted elder, Muzu.

It was late, and after so much questioning over the last few days, even Bazz was starting to question what he could have seen.

“I… know that it was dark and that it could have been my imagination…” He began, the weight of exhaustion causing his shoulders to sink, and his gills to flare out in a deep breath. “But I know what I saw, Your Majesty. Elder Muzu.”

King Dorephan drew in a deep breath as well, his gills rumbling with the effort of it. He looked thoughtful and far away, worry etched into his face.

“I believe you, Captain. I just hope this was all a false alarm… This is a threat we cannot afford to be dealing with at this time.” He said, his voice deep with a hidden yawn.

“Either way. Return to your home, Captain. Get some good rest, you’ll have to help us fill in the Princess tomorrow; it might be hard for her understand what we are dealing with.”

Bazz bowed sharply and made his way out, his fins drooping once he no longer had to stand sharp and stiff at attention.

 

Muzu toyed with one of the long fins drooping down the side of his face.

“This is very troubling. It would be a Hylian to stir up such trouble.”

Dorephan shook his head, trying to stay regal enough to avoid an eye-roll. “There are no guarantees. I think it is the time we both collected some good rest as well.”


	2. A Witness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A witness is interrogated, a secret is found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello !! I'm sorry that my uploads for chapters are all over the place. <3

He was up with the sun, the next morning. It didn’t matter how much sleep he usually got, whether he was restless all night or he had gotten twelve hours of straight sleep; the Prince of the Zora _always_ awoke with the sun.

This habit of his had annoyed his sister in her earlier years, when he was still small and relied on her. It had only been annoying until she realized he was just that way- the way of the sun.

Pulling himself from the sleeping pool most Zora rested in at night, the Prince stretched out each limb slowly, feeling his muscles tense up then relax once more.

He felt... happy.

This emotion wasn’t strange to him, of course. The Prince was known for his positive nature, his beaming smile, his glowing confidence. Who wouldn’t be proud, with what he had in his life? With so much, it was difficult to enjoy the little things.

Sidon still found time to, however.

The chill of the morning air over his scales, the gentle mist clinging to him through the open windows of his living space, it was nice. The special adornments were fastened into place as he began thinking.

The same thing happened now, that always happened when he started thinking. With interest, he went back over his conversation with Link in his head.

Were there any signs he hadn’t noticed? Any warning signs that spelled out something that may have been happening with those two specifically?

Over the few years, Zelda and Sidon had met to have literal meetings about Link.

In secret, of course.

They were worried about so many things that might affect Link, and that may harm his health. Was he eating properly? Not as much as they would like. Did he drink water, and stay hydrated? Hardly.

There were signs though, little tells that said something was going wrong. Were there more bandages than usual? How long had he been on his own, without supervision? Letting Link be an adult and do his own thing was something Sidon and Zelda really wanted for him, as his closest friends. But Link was becoming a little more self-destructive, he didn’t seem to care as much about getting nicked in fights.

Sidon wondered if that cut on his jawline was the only wound on the Hylian.

He highly doubted it, and that doubt made him feel this cold weight settle in his stomach. Worry, maybe?

He could imagine it, the hem of that tunic rising just enough to show off bandages, all stained and terrible. It was an image that wasn’t hard for him to imagine since he had already seen it too many times.

It’s a few minutes later that Sidon realized he had been toying with the same part to his ensemble the entire time- he had been ready to leave his living quarters ages ago…

He and his thoughts, how were they able to run away from him so easily?

With one more glance at his sweet Domain just waking up, and another breath of the crisp air, he set out on his journey.

A journey which led him out his door, down the hall, and to the throne room where his father already sat waiting for him.

Breakfast could be caught in a few hours, but there was a matter that needed to be dealt with.

His footsteps echo as he pads up to the throne, the vast size of both his father and the place his father handed out orders from, were both a small untold pride of his. It was always so endearing to see the King try his best to comfort those in need, and their absolute confusion at seeing how big he really was.

Each guest was allowed their moment to gasp, and stare when they visited the Zora Domain to speak with the mighty King Dorephan.

His gills gently fluttered as he struggled to relax his breathing and build up some courage. Asking for information on something he wasn’t told about was especially anxiety-inducing. There was probably a reason as to why he wasn’t told.

Then again, Dorephan was his father as much as he was the king. If Sidon inquired about something, maybe he would at least be told if not for one reason, then for the other.

“Good morning father. How did you rest last night?”

The king sighed, the sound of a hundred fans being forced to move. “It was a restless night last night, my son.” Dorephan mumbled, not bothering to hold up his mighty appearance for his son. This early in the morning, no one really needed them, so it was okay to drop the extra mannerisms. Dorephan let out another rumbling breath before he continued.

“It seemed as though the wind on the mountain peaks was screaming last night. I fear it is a bad omen.”

Sidon blinked, the fins at his elbows flaring in alarm. His father was never one to be looking for omens- it just wasn’t how the Royal family of the Zora worked. A bad omen?

Hearing his father worry about something like that would have made Sidon shiver- if he could, that is.

“A bad omen? That reminds me. Father, I ran into Princess Zelda and Master Link at _quite_ the late hour last night. I was told you called for them, and made sure that they arrive as quick as possible. Is there something I should know about?” He asked with a tilt of his head. His voice sounded a little more accusatory than he had meant it to be, but he was annoyed. He should know such a thing, shouldn’t he? He was the last remaining heir; the youngest child, but he still deserved to know. Especially something that was bothering his father so.

His question surprises the King for just a moment, those animated yet soft eyes staring at him for a moment before he smiles.

“Stop being so _old_ , my dear boy.” Dorephan said with a grin, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. One of his massive hands patted Sidon’s back just barely, causing the Prince to try his best not to take a step forward from the momentum.

“We have a dire problem. An encampment by the edge of the Zora river had a run in with… Something. The survivors say it looked like the embodiment of evil- it’s the first time I’ve heard of anything like it.”

“..Survivors? We lost Zora lives there?” Sidon asked, suddenly feeling uneasy like his head had detached and was floating away through the air. Was it anyone he knew? Of course, it was. He knew _everyone_. He was the Prince, he loved speaking to his people, and lighting their days.

Dorephan noticed the shock reeling up Sidon’s fins before Sidon did himself.

There was another short huff from the King before he rolled his massive shoulders.

“Yes, there were fatalities.” His voice grew sadder. “Two of the Guard were killed, Bazz and one of our scientists was greatly wounded while studying an anomaly by Tabahl Woods. Bazz refused to be put in the Infirmary for more than a few hours, but the Scientist is still there.” Dorephan continued before he leaned over to peer closely at his son.

“I need to bring the Princess and her knight up to speed. I suggest visiting him and making sure he’s okay. It might be good for you to hear of it from his mouth, rather than me retelling it for you.” The King mumbled, patting at Sidon’s head again.

“Keep a level head. You are the Prince of the Zora.”

Sidon had heard that exact sentence in the same tone for years. Anytime he was visibly shaken, any time he was doubting himself or others. You are the Prince of the Zora.

He wondered if Mipha ever heard something of the like.

With a curt bow and then a little wave, Sidon made his way out into the courtyard.

As always, he was greeted with the sun rippling on the water in the fountain, the air chilly with the breath of mist, and the Zora going about their regular business meanwhile.

Children played together this early in the morning, teasing each other lightheartedly over differences, seeing who could swim fastest. At that age, they didn’t have to worry about anything. Sidon remembered being so small and attached to his sister’s side like a second tail.

The children were endearing to see, but the way children could be painfully truthful made him feel bad for the weirder looking ones.

One boy had a tail that dragged on the ground, shark kind. The upper of the two back fins he had, however, was startlingly long, dragging out to be almost half the length of his tail. Interesting, the way the children seemed to get a little different as Zora of the palace grounds mingled with the settlements of those by the rivers.

Sidon only had time to smile at them as he walked past, his tail drooping and his feet shaky with every step.

How would Link react in a situation like this? He’d be so heroic (probably,) and decide to go check out where the attack happened. Obviously, he would succeed in his mission, he always would. He always did. Always has.

He would make a much better Prince than Sidon, wouldn’t he?

How dreamy, imagine Link in his decorative princely wear-

For a moment he pauses, then feels DEEPLY ashamed. Thinking about how attractive a Hylian is, in the wake of an actual tragedy. Those guards were dead, and Bazz- a dear friend, the Captain of the Guard of all people, as well as a scientist (whom Sidon clearly didn’t know as well), had nearly died as well.

Tight-lipped, and with a better hold on his thoughts, he stiffly walked to the posts which the Guards moved in lethargic steps through, his eyes sharp as the Master Sword itself as he searched.

Bazz was easy to find, his dark scales and soft looking mammalian tail waving gently in the breeze as he stood at the ready. His spear looked like it had just been sharpened, probably due to it dulling during the fight with this evil foe.

His torso was covered in tight bandages, each one looking as though they needed to be changed soon. Parts of them hid under his chest plate, but they were in no way easy to miss.

“Captain Bazz!” Sidon called out, a smile breaching his face once he found a place in front of the Captain of the Zora guard. Not too close- the other was already smaller than Sidon, but now especially, the Prince felt that Bazz would snap in half should he be poked, let alone hugged. “How are you! I heard you went through time on the Zora River; are you okay?” His delightful voice paused for a moment before he absolutely had to clear his throat and sound a bit more… professional.

“Can you tell me anything about this encounter?”

Bazz, of course, looked startled once Sidon had appeared and suddenly seemed very interested in him, his eyes widening in surprise before he forced himself to stand correctly: shoulders back, chest up, and finally a look of cool composure.

The pain in his body was obvious, the way his fins twitched, and a grimace hid beneath the surface of his smile.

“Prince Sidon, it’s very kind of you to inquire as to how I’m feeling. There’s an ache under my scales, but it’s nothing I can’t handle, I assure you.” His voice was cool, like the surface of the water in the very early morning.

The larger and considerably brighter Zora nodded, one hand settling on his hip.

“That’s good to hear. What did this?” He asks, determined to get to the point. This had to be solved and Goddess above, if Sidon didn’t get an actual description soon he would blow a gasket.

Bazz looked saddened to have to recall the tale again, his fingers fidgeting gently on the handle of his spear.

“Do you want the full story Sir, or shall I just skip to the important parts?” Bazz asked, his voice weary now. It sounded as though he had repeated the same story and sentence over and over, like a broken record.

Sidon felt awful for making him recall it again, but it needed to be done. He wanted to know, to hear it from someone who had been there.

“I’d like the whole story, if you’d please.”

 

* * *

 

 

“...And that’s when it happened. At first, I thought it was my imagination,” Bazz continued, his hands now resting on his knees while a nurse continued to rub healing salve onto his side. The bandages gone, his wounds were clear to Sidon’s sharp eyes. They were made by a sword, the skin and scales ripping and showing off the deep gashes- the _far too deep_ gashes. They had been trying to kill Bazz, in what seemed like cold blood.

This fact scared Sidon, even as he sat on a cot opposite Bazz with his legs crossed and his hands folded neatly in his lap.

“What were they?” Sidon asked, feeling his voice want to close up. He sounded strangely childish, speaking here in the Infirmary with Bazz. The guard seemed at ease at least, even as stitches were cut and redone better. Apparently, they had hastily been done beforehand, just to keep him from bleeding out.

“It was like, moving darkness. A shadow, with a sword. It fought like only one other thing I’ve ever known, Prince Sidon. If Master Link hadn’t trained me by the sword all that time ago, we surely would have perished. If I hadn’t stopped by to change the guard, I… I wouldn’t have been able to save even the one life I did. Prince Sidon, if I had only gotten there a little earlier, I could have…”

Sidon shook his head and held up a hand, moving his tail just to emphasize the movement.

“You did what you could, Bazz. Please, can you be any more specific than ‘a moving shadow?’

Was it tall, small, did it speak?”

The guard cleared his throat as if to regain his composure, his nails gently digging into his knees as he flinched against the pinch of the restitching.

The nurse apologized curtly, forcing Bazz to lay down. It would be much easier like that, and begrudgingly, he bends beneath her hands and lays down with a groan.

“It was small. Probably only up to my elbow. Its eyes glowed like the lava pits. There's something going o-” He sucked in a sharp breath, his tail flicking in what could be patient agitation.

Bazz’s gills shuddered as he let out a shaky breath, and just laid his head back.

The Prince stood and patted down his sash, clearing his throat. “Thank you Bazz, that should be enough. Please, do get better. And don’t try to act tougher than you are, it’s okay to take a break for once.” The brighter of the Zora smiled politely as he made his way from the infirmary, the light complaints of the Captain of the Guard following him on the way out.

This just didn’t make sense. Most of the real evil was gone, the real problems in Hyrule. But was peace too much to ask for? Already! Not a few years after the worst threat Hyrule had seen in a long time was finally vanquished.

Sidon felt suffocated, as though he couldn’t breathe. The sound of his footsteps surrounded his frozen thought process as he robotically continued down the hall of the palace.

What kind of threat would this be? It had already claimed lives, already claimed voices and thoughts from this world and sent them to distant lands, where they would be in peace forever.

He would have to speak with the families eventually, to express his apologies and his hurt. The way he felt what they did, pain, and a need to set things right.

Revenge was silly, of course- but a threat must be eradicated before it was too out of control.

He shook his head to try and clear his thoughts meanwhile, his tail wagging gently from the effort of trying to think clearly. Getting buried by such stress, by such dark thoughts wasn’t good for him. It made his fins twitch in annoyance, and his face ache from frowning so deeply.

He stopped there, in the hallway, to pat his cheeks and nod, bunching his hands into fists.

They WOULD find whoever did this, and they would be taken care of EASILY.

They had the Champion of Hyrule, after all!!

Link could beat anything!

 

It was probably only a few more minutes until Sidon came upon what appeared to be….

Link.

Just sitting there, in the hallway, beside the great door of the throne room.

Sidon at first blinked in curiosity, before stepping up to the likely napping figure.

He was slumped against the wall, a chin balanced in one hand as the corresponding elbow wedged against his knee.

Sidon stopped a few feet away, just to lean down and glance at the Hylian in interest. His tail flopped over his shoulder at the movement, and his heart twitched in a surge of feeling.

He was up late, he likely stayed up all night just to be sure everything was all set. There was no telling how many other days the man was up through every hour of the night.

He looked peaceful like this, and it made a gentle heat build in the bottom of Sidon’s throat. What was it, that made him feel so warm and fuzzy around Link? He refused to accept it as love, were there even records of a Prince loving a Knight of Hylians?

Would it even be accepted? He was positive his people would accept it… they did want everything to be happy and peaceful for the prince… though there was the problem of needing an heir…

The next thing he knew, he was on his knees and leaning forward towards the sleeping knight, in quiet thoughtfulness it was there he watched Link take soft breaths in and let them out slowly.

How would they wed? Would anyone be okay with that? Sidon had a feeling that as long as Link was by his side they could overcome anything, any problem.

His fingers tapped against the scales of his thigh, wanting to stroke some of that pretty hair. No Zora really had hair, and if they did they were only whiskers to help swim in the water.

Sidon had always wanted more than to just ruffle the raggedy locks of the other; not only in a friendly way but in the way that showed how much he cared for the shorter man.

His fingers gently reached for Link’s sleeping face, haloed so nicely with those cute wing bangs. Those adorable long ears; they got so sunburnt but Link never really cared.

His claw didn’t have even a moment to graze Link’s jawline, not even to touch the bandage on his cheek before he was pinned.

It happened in a second, Sidon didn’t have time to even blink before the Hylian was out from under his hand and gone. The next thing that became abundantly obvious was Link’s knees digging into his shoulder fins, and his feet pressing Sidon’s forearms into the ground.

The Prince’s tail was squished uncomfortably under his back, but he barely noticed, for a blade was pressed against his throat. Link’s eyes were still coated with a layer of sleep, out of focus and not shining as they usually were.

Sidon’s pulse raged beneath his skin as he stared wide eyes at the other. Those thighs looked a lot less muscle-y than they felt. His fins were being squished, his gills felt pinched and it was surely hard to breathe.

But why breathe when the beauty of the Hylian took his breath away even here, like this? A thread of sunlight filtered into the hall in just the right angle to catch on the golden strands of Link’s hair, on the soft way his lips pulled tight over his teeth as if to bare fangs that weren’t very menacing.

Even like this, Sidon was lovestruck.

But, he cleared his throat and tried to lift some of the weight off his tail.

“L-Link, please, you’re hurting me just a tad.” He said quietly as to not alert any guards that may be patrolling nearby.

Link blinked once, twice… his eyes widened for a moment, and he pulled the blade from Sidon’s neck with the same quickness that had landed it there. He slid down the shark Prince’s torso, then promptly rolled onto the floor looking MAD with himself.

_Listen Sidon, I’m sorry! I don’t know what came over m-_

“Link, it’s quite alright! You live out in the wild, instincts like those are bound to accumulate over time. I can understand.” Sidon sat up before he even started speaking, rubbing his tail with nimble fingers. Ouch, it hurt more than he was willing to admit.

Link’s ears were fading into pink in embarrassment, and Sidon felt his heart SKIP. It wanted to leap out of his pocket, and land in Link’s hands, his heart longed for even a lingering glance.

Why did Link have to be so cute? Here, he was cute. Little and bunched up and embarrassed and…. Deadly. And oh so attractive with a sword in hand and some helpless monster quivering beneath his blade.

Sidon grinned in delight, climbing back onto his feet and offering a hand up to the other.

“What are you doing out here, though? Shouldn’t you be inside with Princess Zelda and my father?”

_I wasn’t allowed in. I guess it’s a subject that is too sensitive for me._

“What? Really? You saved all of Hyrule, and have won countless battles… But this _specifically_ is too sensitive a topic for you?” Sidon asked, his tone baffled. This news was shocking to say the least. Link had been trusted with countless lives and even the duty of dealing with Vah Ruta… but an attacker, a villain on the loose and attacking Zora in the area, was too much for him?

Sidon made a face, and it must have been much sourer than his usual expression for it made Link laugh out loud.

_Sidon, please cheer up. I am an appointed knight, not royalty. I don’t expect to be part of every meeting._

“Yes but you are also a Champion, Link! I feel absolutely appalled that you were told to sit out of such a meeting.”

Link shrugged, but the way his arms crossed and his fingers pressed into his arm made it clear he was nervous. What could be so bad, so weird, so wrong that he wasn’t allowed to know?

There's a moment of comfortable silence between them until Link rolled his shoulders.

_Well… I’m going to go walk around. Get some exercise. Care to join me?_

The Prince blinked and bit his lip. “Of course, Link, it would be my absolute pleasure to join you for a walk. You must pardon me for only a few minutes though, I have just one thing to check up on. I’ll meet you at the fountain, yes?”

One nod of agreement, and then an exchanging of smiles.

Link made his way down the hall, and Sidon watched until he rounded a corner and was out of sight.

It was then that Sidon laid a hand on the door to the throne room, his fingers nervously tapping quietly against the wood as he makes a quick decision.

Cracking open the door for only a moment, the near-silent mumbles of the Princess and his father began to drift towards him.

 

“Are you sure that’s what they said?” Princess Zelda’s gentle voice carried so easily as she spoke, though the amount of worry and disbelief in her voice made Sidon feel anxiety pool in his stomach and spread icy and cold through his veins.

“I’ve heard it from both the witnesses multiple times. I think what they’re saying can’t be false, but… I can’t bring myself to believe it.”

“And what they’ve sworn to you is that…

It was Link?”

 

“That’s exactly what they said.”


	3. And Then He's Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a mini heart attack, a threat, and then a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hecking henlo!!!  
> I'm SO SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET THIS FRICKEN CHAPTER DONE  
> I've been in a slump, lost me some muse and it was wild.  
> Thank you all so much for stopping by and reading!!!  
> I know there's not much here and it's not quite flashy and fancy, but I definitely appreciate all the kudos and the comments~ Please please without further adieu, enjoy this here chapter.

“And what they’ve swore to you is that…  
It was Link?”  
“That’s exactly what they said.”

It was a shock to his system. He felt physically drained, like every bone had been liquified, like every muscle was turned to foam.  
It was just, he was …  
That couldn’t be possible. It wasn’t true. It COULDN’T be true. Link of all people, attacking innocents and harming those who could barely defend themselves against him?  
It made sense how Bazz just nearly survived, Link had been the one to train him. Bazz’s skill with the sword was unmatched by any other in the Zora Domain.  
If it had been anyone else, surely they would have all died.  
This new bit of knowledge made him physically sick, and he let the door close quietly. He absolutely had to lean against the wall, his head swimming and his stomach feel as though someone was beating around in it with a wooden spoon.  
It couldn’t be true.  
Did that mean when Link had pinned him there beneath such a small muscular body with those soft blue eyes, he could have died?  
Did… that mean Link had descended into the darkness?  
No, he refused to admit. Collecting every part of him, he straightened his back and made his way out to the courtyard. It no longer felt like a gentle walk with someone he cared about, now it was daunting, painful. It felt like a death sentence, and it made every part of him feel so tense he could have slammed his arm down on a rock and it wouldn’t have been his bones to break, but the stone.  
Link casually sat at the very edge of the fountain, the rainbow of colors that reflected off of it sending dazzling colors to the back of Link’s shirt. His hair and clothes moved gently in the breeze, a scar or two peeking out from beneath his neckline.  
Sidon gulped, feeling like a guppy for once, out of breath and weak.. What if he couldn’t do this? Couldn’t handle knowing this new tidbit of information and not asking Link about it?  
Maybe that’s what he would do. Lead him as far as he could away from the others, and ask if it was true.  
If it was, well…  
He’d have to take him out before the Hylian was able to lay a hand on anymore of his people.  
Rolling his shoulders back and nodding gravely, Sidon made his way out to Link.  
It was clear almost instantly that Link could feel the change in him- the way he suddenly seemed stiff, like there wasn’t a smile in any part of his body.  
“Link, are you ready for our walk? Come, follow me.” Sidon started, and then made his way down the path before he could read an answer from the other.  
So long ago had they met. When Sidon was just barely a toddler, and when Link was just as small. He had been so elegant with a sword even back then- it had shocked the young prince way back..  
His sister had seemed so enchanted, even back then.  
Mipha.  
It was stupid how guilty he felt about her day to day. He missed her so much, it felt as though someone had emptied his chest and used the scraps to go fishing. She was a hollow in his heart, yet nothing but happy memories. She cared for Link as Sidon did now, and doing this would be an insult to her memory.  
The brightness of her smile, even in his mind was beginning to fade blue. Red to blue.  
Red is blue.  
He is blue.  
What would he do if he had to take out Link?  
What would he- how would he even …  
The thoughts started to close in on him, making him feel lost and hurt and alone.  
It must have showed; it always showed, Sidon was an open book and everyone could tell when there was something wrong with him, for a small warm hand on his side made his thoughts scatter like scared minnows.  
Link looked intense, his eyebrows drawn together in concentration.  
There’s something wrong, isn’t there, Sidon?  
Said fish prince cleared his throat, leading Link down a path, down to the side of the water, leading the way.  
“There is something wrong. I found out only moments ago, but I am extremely unsettled.” His voice was uneasy, his fins fluttering gently as he shook out his arms and set his hands on his hips.  
Finally, he had stopped, and Link had stopped just beside him.  
Next to a tall tree, overlooking the soft curves of the lake.  
It was pretty, Sidon couldn’t help but notice. It was always pretty in this spot, a spot close to his heart.  
How many days had he sat here with Mipha, toes in the water and hands trying to figure out how to braid rope just right to make it look like a bracelet. It was perfect for fooling around and being children., just pretty enough to cast a calming blanket over their eyes. His heart dropped however, as the thought wiggled it’s way into his head: it would be just pretty enough as a grave too, wouldn’t it?  
The thought twisted around his insides.  
He wouldn’t be able to do it. He wouldn’t be able to physically hurt Link in any way, and he knew it.  
Sidon felt weak.  
Absurdly weak, in that moment.  
“Did you hear about the attack on the bank of Zora River?” Sidon asked, tilting his head just so, that way the fins that framed his face hopefully hid his eyes from the Hylian for a moment or two.  
“Two men died, just on the edge of the Wood there. And… the witnesses say it was you, Link.” Sidon said, feeling his words copy Zelda’s earlier statement. He hadn’t even heard it himself from the witnesses; Bazz, especially. Did Bazz struggle to decide whether or not to tell him? Or was he told not to tell the prince?

 

* * *

 

 

His eyes widened.  
It would make sense, at least, why he wasn’t allowed in on the rest of the meeting- only enough to hear that there was trouble. No wonder, the second half was about how he supposedly had done this awful thing, wasn’t it…  
Quickly, his hands were up in defense, quaking gently thanks to both how menacing his friend (who he only ever saw sad or happy) looked, and what could quite possibly be a lack of water in his system.  
 _Sidon, I don’t know what they’re talking about. I’ve never laid a hand on a Zora. If I had in the past, I can’t tell you yes or no. I was in my room all night, and you found us approaching even before then!_  
He hoped, he so dearly hoped that Sidon would get it, would believe him. Under stress, a victim could see anything, it wasn’t.. It couldn’t be true.  
 _My memory is bad, Sidon, but you know I would remember if I had done something like that._  
Link’s hands fluttered with urgency; the way Sidon was watching him looked as though he was deciding how to kill him on the spot. It was terrible. He had to get his words across before Sidon could just… make a decision.  
He could see it in Sidon’s eyes.  
The gloom forming.  
He hated it; there was nothing worse than seeing the Zora Prince looking upset, grave even.  
“I don’t know if I can believe you, Link. Those men, my men, they’re dead now and nearly every shred of evidence points to you! Bazz was gravely injured, but he only survived thanks to his training from you, but apparently, no one told him he’d need that knowledge to protect himself from you!” Sidon hissed, his gills flaring and his tail stiffening.  
Link felt dwarfed, for once. Normally, Sidon’s size never even crossed his mind, but now that he was menacing, suddenly it became far too clear.  
 _Sidon please, you know it wasn’t-_  
Link began to back up now, trying to keep a distance between them.  
It physically hurt, to have to act this way around a trusted friend of all people.  
“Do I know that?! Link, just please, PROMISE me you didn’t do this. I don’t- I don’t think I can accept this,” His scary aura started to dissipate almost the moment he stopped speaking. He looked so scared and hurt and just… so unlike his usual character.  
“If you’ve crossed over to be one with the shadows, please just tell me now before I get myself in too deep, Link. I feel like you’re the only good thing left in my world and…” Finally he stopped blubbering, his jaw clenching against whatever stream of personal words was trying to slip out. He looked angry with himself, angry with Link, angry with everyone.  
Link’s ears drooped downwards before he cleared his throat and took a deep breath.  
“Sidon I… I swear it wasn’t me.” He struggled to speak, his voice almost too raspy and quiet. The words must have gotten across, because Sidon looked shocked, then hurried to regain his demeanor from only a few moments ago.  
“Then who could it have been? No one looks exactly like you except you. No one I’ve met could inflict such damage with a sword exactly like the ones you wield.”  
Link frowned for a moment.  
It was true, this situation did place Link in a bad place.  
At least it was Sidon he could look confused in front of, rather than the King and Zelda, who would surely breathe down his neck and require more of an explanation than ‘I don’t know.’  
 _What do we do? They’ll believe me, won’t they?_  
Sidon gently nibbled at his lip, a nervous tick Link had come to recognize. The Prince seemed to have decided to believe him for now, thankfully. But it didn’t keep this aching nervousness from pooling in his stomach, behind his ribcage and eating him from the inside out.  
Within a few steps, Sidon set a hand on the tree nearby, and then sat at the bottom of it.  
“I don’t know, Link. I hate to say it, but there is a high possibility they will ignore what you say.” The Zora’s shoulders were quivering from some unknown fear, or relief. Whatever it was, it made him look small. Which, was a feat not easily achieved with a man solidly twice Link’s height.  
Before he could stop himself, Link stepped over to Sidon and laid a hand on the crest of Sidon’s brow, his ears twitching as he just rubbed a thumb over those cool scales in interest.  
He wished he was able to feel them more often. Soft scales against calloused skin… it was a nice difference.  
“I think the only way to solve this is to catch whoever did do this.” Sidon spoke out, leaning his face into the little hand. The touch was sweet, it was personal. It made Link feel the weird warmth in his chest that Sidon sometimes brought on.  
He was quick to squish it, however.  
 _Well, let’s catch them then._  
Link signs once he’s taken his hand back, his shoulders rolling in determination once or twice before he offers a hand up to Sidon, who takes it with a small laugh.  
It was a joke, pretending that he could help lift Sidon to his feet, but Sidon still seemed thankful for it as he rose to his full height again.  
“Alright. I feel replenished now! With your word that it wasn’t you..” He seemed to brighten, no longer so droopy and sad looking. He leaned forward to take both Link’s hands in his own, those golden eyes of his shining with a childish hope, he grinned.  
“I have my highest hopes in you Link. I will stand by your side with my full support.”  
He was so sweet.  
Sidon was so sweet. Everything about him- his strange trust in Link, the way his fins and gills seemed to have minds of their own when it came to showing emotions, the way he looked so fantastic in the morning sun, it was…  
It was difficult.  
Difficult to enjoy Sidon’s company, like he knew he did.  
Seeing the sun shine off those crimson scales, those soft parts of his face stretch in such a big hopeful smile- it reminded him of Mipha.  
Guilt had wrecked him since he realized since he remembered.  
She loved him.  
He just… she deserved so much better.  
And to fall in love with her little brother of all things.. Wasn’t fair to her memory.  
The little Hylian warrior wasn’t stupid; the way Sidon watched him from the corner of his eyes, the way he seemed to brighten and fawn over Link whenever he visited..  
It was so close..  
So within reach that Link would only have to say something, just gently brush his fingers over that sweet chin, his tongue over those sharp and surprisingly sparkly teeth….  
And the deal would be sealed, he just knew it.  
But… He couldn’t.  
There was a life he needed to get back, there was a certain Zora princess he needed to respect.  
So for now, Link placed his hands on his hips and nodded sharply as he began leading the way back up the path. Before turning again to get his words across.  
 _Okay._  
 _Oh-Kay. We have a mystery to correct now. Clear my name._  
 _How are we going to explain this to the King and Zelda?_  
Sidon stretched behind him while trying to think of an answer, a childish whine hissing from his gills as he stretched out some muscles. It was still the morning, it was okay to admit he was probably still tired.  
Knowing Sidon, he would never admit such a thing.  
“Ah… Oh! Simple. We explain nicely, and my father is a VERY understanding king, surely he will listen and offer his advice to solving the problem-”  
His voice trailed off.  
There were witnesses. Maybe it was only now that he was remembering that everything seemed to be stacked against Link.  
There was no escape it seemed.  
“But what if…” He started, and then paused again. It was like Link could see the gears working in his head as his fingers gently stroked his chin, his nails gently scraping against the soft skin of his cheeks.  
“What if I hide you in the castle until we get around to figuring out what did this?”  
Sidon was like an open book- Link could see him suddenly get much too bright, all grinning and bright eyed. His hands formed fists, and soon he was shaking them by the sides of his head like an excited child.  
“I could show you my room!! I have something like my own home in the castle- my father wanted me to be independent in some ways at least, and I too wanted the opportunity to show that should it come down to it I am able to care for myself outside of the palace.”  
Link bit his lip, scratching behind one of his ears for a moment before clearing his throat and asking just one more question.  
 _Won’t disappearing make me look more guilty?_  
Sidon stopped, held up his pointer finger as though he wanted to say something, but then he dropped it and cupped his chin in thought again.  
“I think… that may be your only choice for the time being. Running.”  
He seemed to droop as he said it, like the realization of how ridiculous and how serious the situation was was settling on his scales again.  
Link shrugged- it was okay, he didn’t mind. Something like this was easy to deal with- he would simply need to stay from the Zora Domain for a few months, and find who did this.  
Should he find the real murderer and bring them back to the King and Princess Zelda, his name would be cleared.  
It was simple, really.  
But it was also so so difficult.  
 _I know what I have to do, Sidon. But I’m afraid you can’t come with me. I can’t stay here, either._  
The words stung- they didn’t only sting him, but they stung Sidon too. He could see it, a quick flash of hurt shock Sidon’s features for only a moment before he stared at the ground by Link’s feet, nodding carefully.  
“I know. But please, Link…” Sidon didn’t even need to lean forward in order to place both his hands on Link’s shoulders, and squeeze so gently.  
“Return here safe. Keep in contact with me.”  
There’s a nod, and then just like the breeze of the spring day, he was there one moment and gone the next.


	4. A New Journey in the Middle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link is a detective,  
> Sidon is sad,  
> A sign finally sent,  
> And a journey begins.
> 
> ..again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those who didnt see my exclamation point in the comments of the previous chapter, i'm SO SORRY!!!  
> I DIDN'T REALIZE AO3 GLITCHED AND DIDNT REGISTER MY ITALICS AND BREAKS AND SUCH!!!  
> Goddess was that embarrassing to see; I went to check up on the chapter and it was so broken and sad looking!  
> Of course I did go back to try and fix it, however if you see problems that I may have missed please PLEASE let me know.
> 
> Thank you if you are still reading this, I really appreciate your patience!

For the next few days, it was just Link. He was by himself as he’d always been, but somehow, for the first time, he felt lonelier than normal. Talking to random people, trying to discover secrets. Hearing the same things from every person that he always hears… It was as though they forgot who he was, and needed to tell him all over again.

“You’re the hero!” A little girl would shout, latching onto his arm and twirling around by his feet.

How could he resist, playing with children? Despite the sour mood, and the annoyed body language, and the descending awful feeling and the leaving without telling Zelda, he still… Still couldn’t resist making a child smile a little brighter.

She swung from his arm as though it were a rope swing, and he let it happen.

Eventually, he leaned down and put his hands on her shoulders as though he were entrusting her with a very powerful secret.

His face was serious… Until he pinched her cheek and shooed her off towards her mother again.

She squealed, of course, running away from him to her mother and leading a string of giggles between them.

Link smiled to himself gently, but tucked his thumbs in his belt loops and made his way towards the outside of the town.

He was here for a reason, in this little fishing village; and that reason was to find Kilton.

Kilton was some sort of outlandish creature, looking nothing like the races in this region. He was grey, stumpy, and ugly. He traveled by way of colorful balloon, and in his little shop, he was perfectly at home at the edges of villages.

Here, he sat on a rock by the town, just far enough in the water that Link had to swim out to him.

Kilton glanced over the moment he peered Link on the shoreline and continued to watch as the Hero made his way over.

Dripping, but ultimately unbothered by it, Link made his way over to cross his arms and peer down at Kilton.

The odd little creature laughed barely, fidgeting in anticipation of gaining money as he spoke. “Link, Link! So nice to see you again Link, have you come to buy? Or perhaps trade things for mon?”

The Hylian squinted, just a little.

“O-Obviously not. What can I do you for then?”

_ I need a question answered, Kilton. _

Kilton obviously wasn’t an expert at reading sign language, so he struggled to keep up. Usually, nods or head shakes were just enough for their interactions.

“Here, maybe this will help you.” Kilton laughed nervously again, setting out a paper, a quill pen, and an ink well on his counter.

“This is all I have.”

Link sighed and repeated the question on paper.

Kilton’s eyes flicked over it quickly and then nodded.

Link began writing again.

_ There’s someone running around in something you probably sold. Do you have anything that could mimic me? _

“Mimic you? Link, I can’t possibly imagine what you mean-”

_ What have you sold recently to someone who wasn’t me? _

“An armor… you didn’t want it, what else was I supposed to do with it?! Some scrawny looking wannabe knight stopped by carrying,” Kilton had to stop, and shudder with a face of one who had glimpsed god. “So many monster parts…. Almost more than you bring for me~” Kilton winked.

It made Link shudder and look away uncomfortably.

After a second, he cleared his throat and continues to write.

_ No, I didn’t want that armor. It wasn’t something I absolutely needed at the time… But there was no excuse to sell something like that to some regular guy. _

“He wasn’t just some regular guy, he was here all of five minutes and already had thousands of my mon! I couldn’t help it…”

Link sighed but didn’t say anything else. With a wave, he thanked Kilton and dove into the water to paddle his way back towards land.

His horse stared at him in annoyance as he left a dripping trail from the waterline over to her, but she didn’t complain too much when he hopped into the saddle and gently urged her back through the village.

So all he has to do is find the soldier with the armor right… simple…

Stopping someone walking by from atop his horse, Link signed slowly.

_ Who last interacted with that merchant? Did you see them? _

The man gave him a confused look, then patted his hands on his trousers to dry them a moment before rubbing them together.

“I’d say he looked like a youngin. Probably spent too much time at the castle and wore some nice looking armor.

Looked a lot like you, actually. Was super giddy about whatever he bought at the place over there, from that strange guy.”

Link nodded, rolling his shoulders back.

_ Okay, so he looked as though he came from the castle? _

The man nodded in response, and Link nodded in turn as thanks.

Digging his heels into the sides of his horse, she took off through the town and back up through the path.

There were a lot of guardians up there, and it would take forever to find such a person now that they were fast as… how did Sidon say the witnesses explained it? Oh well.

Link could be faster with a little work on his part.

 

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for his horse to reach the closest stable to the castle.

They were fast, and the paths were clear enough to fly right through, so the trip hadn’t taken long.

_ Watch her for me, _ Link asked with a smile, while the stable hands only watched him. His horse was taken to be boarded with the rest of the equines on their hands, while Link nodded once more in thanks and began his journey towards the castle.

He could tell they were worried.

They always were; in fact, everyone always was. He was always running headfirst towards danger, there was no stopping to think twice about something.

He needed to find out who had ruined his friendships and soiled his reputation.

Zelda would know why he left. She couldn’t possibly think that it was him, not at all. She knew him better than anyone; hopefully, she would forgive him for taking off without a word though.

As he neared the castle, as expected there were too many guardians. Absolutely everywhere; though Link knew how to easily avoid such matters.

It was annoying to try and fight all of them when they weren’t even his goal, so it was easier to just… go around.

As he walked, he could see obvious signs of fighting. This person wasn’t hiding that they were living there and cutting down anything that strayed too close. Decayed guardians that had been put out of their misery left a trail back to a camp. It was messy like someone had taken the inside of a house, broken everything inside, and threw it here in the woods.

Link had never thought he would need to play detective one day, but here he was, analyzing clothes, letters, and weapons.

He didn’t stay for long, however, for night began to descend and already he was turning back to the stable on foot.

 

* * *

 

Sidon had waited. He had been patient, for hours, days, weeks… Link was.. The best in the land, the hero… GODDESS!! That boy was the most amazing person Sidon KNEW when it came to solving problems! Especially those that weren’t even urgent; this one here, it was urgent and it was taking him WEEKS!!   
Sidon had begun getting antsy; anxiety was building the longer Link stayed out of the light, the more Sidon heard less. The more he didn’t even hear Link’s name mentioned within the royal walls of the Domain, the more he started pacing.

He started finding himself at Mipha’s statue more and more, whispering to her as though she were still there, wondering what to do. Asking for guidance, as though she were a deity.

Oh, if only his sister had been here to help guide him. What would she say in this situation? Would she believe him, when he says Link isn’t guilty? Would she tell him that the Zora had purposefully not been talking of Link around him, as to not upset him?   
Zelda was still in the Domain, and daily had meetings with Dorephan.

 

Sidon was anxious. He took far too many walks and started interacting with others less. Link was always ALWAYS on his mind. Remember back when he used to visit every other day? When he used to try his best to get Sidon’s attention, despite the fact Sidon was always on duty, watching over his Domain.

It brought smiles to Sidon’s face to think of the cute things Link used to do. But these days, the sky felt darker for not having Link around.

It felt colder, despite the sun always out.

It felt.. Lonely. Why hadn’t he followed Link? Obviously, if a Prince went out into the world, especially after Link, he couldn’t possibly be guilty.   
He could feel it though. In the rushed movements of the guards and the way Zelda looked at him sometimes, as though they should both be worried about the outcome.

Peace was always the thing the Zora had looked for.

But now that it was broken by the blade of a sword, what would happen?   
It was the same day, it felt like every day without Link was the same day.

He woke up with the sun, and settled his Princely attire upon his scales. He peered out into the courtyard, feeling his heart deflate just a little more.

Just once more, he’d like to see Link doing the thing that the Hero usually did. Fuck around in the courtyard under Sidon’s supervision.

It felt empty.

His legs felt wobbly as he stepped up to his normal spot, feeling the lack of sleep descend upon him.

The sun rose, the kids played, the elders made their ways from the community pools, and the Hylians woke from their sleep in the inn.

Everything was soft and sweet here, although it was missing a friendly face or two. Peace continued as it normally did here; though just as a duck on the water. The surface of the water might be still as a sheet of glass, while the duck's feet work tenfold to drift the bird down the river just below the surface.

It was peaceful now, but it didn’t mean trouble wasn't brewing beneath the surface.

He was in the middle of a daydream when the letter was pushed into his hand by small orange hands. It was Finley, with her soft sweet face and big innocent eyes.

Despite being old enough, she still had yet to hit her growth spurt, so she still looked so little and kind.

“Prince Sidon,” She began, but then couldn’t stop giggling. “See, I was given a very important job.” Finley attempted at clearing her throat to appear a little more mature.

“This letter is supposed to be delivered to you. It crossed great distances, see that mark in the corner? That’s from the wetlands stable, and that one is from the lakeside stable. That’s all the way in Faron isn't it?”

Sidon’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest once his fingers closed around the paper in his palm. It was like feeling something for the first time after a long sleep, like seeing something for the first time in a cloud of smoke.

Was it..

Who else would send him something?

“Thank you very much, Finley,” Sidon said gently, forcing his legs to carry him away from the girl after a moment. Off his usual pedestal, as he walked it seemed as though the feeling was returning to his legs, to his arms, to his life and his smile was slowly forming.

Even just the mention of him, the thought of him sitting down to write Sidon a note, taking his time to give the Prince an update… It felt like seeing light for the first time in a long time.

Out of sight and to himself, he opened the note slowly while his heart hammered in his chest.

The writing was scrawled badly; he had assumed Link’s writing looked like this, the Hylian was often out of touch with real physical things.

It spoke of an unsuccessful venture, and how much he missed the Domain (much to Sidon’s happiness,) though the tone of the words seemed to.. darken towards the end of the letter.

It spoke of how… he had run into a problem. Something that left him handicapped and unable to continue.

It sounded like an elixir that he had made incorrectly, or something, for he spoke about how he had been nearly trapped at the stable in Faron, unable to continue on his journey.

At the very bottom of the note, however, there was a small note, almost as though it were an afterthought he almost hadn’t added.

 

_ It kills me to ask this of you, but I need help. _

 

Link? The hero? The literal champion of Hyrule… needing help? And asking it of Sidon, rather than the numerous skilled warriors Link knew?

Then it must be important.

 

That night, in the darkness of the Domain, the Prince watched carefully as the children were off to bed, then their parents too. The elders themselves never really slept, so Sidon marked them as obstacles.

A guard helped him in this endeavor, thankfully no questions asked.

In the gentle moonlight, his princely attire was shed, and placed upon the shelves where they usually belonged.

Soft fabric was replaced with the metal chest plate of a guard, his headdress was replaced with a hard helm.

Sidon was surely much larger than most other Zora, and his brow obviously gave him away as the prince, but a normal Hylian would never know the difference.

It was like this, in the armor of a guard with a spear on his back that Sidon snuck to the river, and dove in.

He was on his way, whether his father or people liked it or not.

Guilt strained on his shoulders, for just disappearing in such a way, but he was following his heart; he was sure his father would forgive him with time. 


End file.
